Mount Ida College

Carlson Hall Student Center

Boston, Massachusetts

The 23,750 sf Carlson Hall project is a significant renovation and addition to an existing building on the campus of Mount Ida College. BAA converted this underused building into a new three-story student center with expanded greenhouse dining space to meet the campus' evolving needs. The ground floor features an auditorium, retail food service, a convenience store and student lounge. The second-floor houses an upscale 280 seat all-you-care-to-eat style dining hall that includes open kitchens, food and beverage stations, increased common areas, and convenience store to enhance the overall dining experience. The renovated space looks contemporary and sleek, incorporating the latest trends in campus dining, such as updated finishes, modern light fixtures, stone-top tables, counter seating, banquette seating, booths, indoor and outdoor patio seating, and floor to ceiling glass windows that flood the space with natural light.

Other work included reorganizing the underutilized spaces into offices of student life and creating a new student entrance featuring a two-story glass-enclosed atrium with stairways.